Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (School Use — Class Licence) Order 2025

No. S 364

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control
(School Use — Class Licence)
Order 2025

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 56 of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, the Minister for Home Affairs makes the following Order:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order is the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (School Use — Class Licence) Order 2025 and comes into operation on 1 July 2025.

Definitions

2.—(1)  In this Order —

“adult” means an individual who is at least 18 years of age;

“authorised by or under the Act”, for a regulated activity involving any explosive precursor, weapon, gun or ammunition, means authorised to carry on the regulated activity, without committing an offence under the Act, because of —

(a) a provision in the Act;

(b) a licence or a class licence; or

(c) an exemption by or under section 87, 88 or 89 of the Act;

“current”, for a licence or venue approval, means in effect, and includes not suspended;

“entity” means —

(a) a body corporate (including a limited liability partnership);

(b) an unincorporated association;

(c) a partnership;

(d) a business trust;

(e) a body of individuals who together form a body; or

(f) a person other than an individual;

“foreign system school” means the premises occupied by a registered private education institution to provide full‑time primary or secondary education wholly or substantially in accordance with a foreign or international curriculum;

“Government junior college” means a junior college organised and conducted directly by the Government;

“Government primary school” means a primary school organised and conducted directly by the Government;

“Government secondary school” means a secondary school organised and conducted directly by the Government;

“Government‑aided junior college” means a junior college (not being an independent school) that —

(a) is established by any person other than the Government; and

(b) is conducted by a committee of management which is in receipt of a grant‑in‑aid from the Government under the Education (Grant‑in‑Aid) Regulations 1982 for the defraying of the expenses incurred for conducting the school;

“Government‑aided primary school” means a primary school that —

(a) is established by any person other than the Government; and

(b) is conducted by a committee of management which is in receipt of a grant‑in‑aid from the Government under the Education (Grant‑in‑Aid) Regulations 1982 for the defraying of the expenses incurred for conducting the school;

“Government‑aided secondary school” means a secondary school (not being an independent school) that —

(a) is established by any person other than the Government; and

(b) is conducted by a committee of management which is in receipt of a grant‑in‑aid from the Government under the Education (Grant‑in‑Aid) Regulations 1982 for the defraying of the expenses incurred for conducting the school;

“grounds” means land in Singapore that has a boundary fence or another structure or feature to mark the boundary of the land;

“holder”, in relation to a licence (but not a class licence), means the person to whom the licence is granted;

“identity particulars” means —

(a) for an individual —

(i) the full name of the individual;

(ii) the number of the individual’s identity card, or of the individual’s passport or work pass if he or she is not a citizen of Singapore; and

(iii) the nationality of the individual; or

(b) for an entity —

(i) the full name of the entity;

(ii) the country where the entity was incorporated or otherwise formed; and

(iii) the Unique Entity Number (UEN) of the entity, where available;

“independent school” means a school that —

(a) is specified in any order made under section 3(1) of the School Boards (Incorporation) Act 1990; or

(b) is set out in Part I of the Schedule to the Education Endowment and Savings Schemes (Edusave Pupils Fund) Regulations (Rg 1);

“Institute of Technical Education” means the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore established under the Institute of Technical Education Act 1992;

“integrated programme” means a programme which provides an integrated secondary and pre‑university education;

“junior college” means a school for providing full‑time pre‑university education, and includes any centralised institute which provides full‑time pre‑university education;

“licence” does not include a class licence;

“local university” means any of the following schools:

(a) the Nanyang Technological University;

(b) the National University of Singapore;

(c) the Singapore Institute of Technology;

(d) the Singapore Management University;

(e) the Singapore University of Social Sciences;

(f) the Singapore University of Technology and Design;

(g) any person whose function of providing tertiary education is determined by written law;

(h) any entity owned (wholly or partly) or controlled by any university or person mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g);

“operator”, in relation to a school, means the person conducting the provision of education in the school;

“primary school” means a school for providing full‑time primary education;

“principal”, in relation to a school, means the individual directly employed, contracted or otherwise engaged, by the school’s operator and charged with the responsibility —

(a) for the organisation of the school curriculum;

(b) for the control of the teachers of the school;

(c) for the maintenance of discipline of the students of the school; and

(d) for the day‑to‑day administration and management of the school;

“private education” means any education the provision of which in Singapore by a person requires registration under the Private Education Act 2009;

Examples

Education leading to the award of a diploma, degree or certificate.

Full‑time education for the purpose of preparing students for any examination that leads to a qualification awarded by any person other than the person which provides such full‑time education or entitles the students to be admitted to an education institution.

“registered private education institution” means a person registered under Part 3 of the Private Education Act 2009 to provide private education in Singapore;

“relevant post‑secondary education school” means any of the following schools:

(a) the Institute of Technical Education;

(b) the Nanyang Polytechnic established under the Nanyang Polytechnic Act 1992;

(c) the Ngee Ann Polytechnic established under the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Act 1967;

(d) the Republic Polytechnic established under the Republic Polytechnic Act 2002;

(e) the Singapore Polytechnic established under the Singapore Polytechnic Act 1954;

(f) the Temasek Polytechnic established under the Temasek Polytechnic Act 1990;

“religious school” means any Muslim religious school referred to in section 87(1) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966;

“school” means any premises used —

(a) to provide primary, secondary, pre‑university, post‑secondary or tertiary education; or

(b) for teaching, training or imparting any knowledge or skill,

and includes any grounds in which those premises are located;

“secondary school” means a school for providing full‑time secondary education, and includes any institution which provides secondary education under an integrated programme;

“secure” means secure from loss, theft, sabotage or unauthorised access;

“student” means an individual who receives, or is enrolled to receive, full‑time or part‑time education offered or provided by an operator of a school;

“suitable storeroom” means a room that —

(a) is or is part of any premises which is not made from short‑lived materials; and

(b) is fitted with a door which must —

(i) be made of solid metal; and

(ii) have a built‑in sturdy combination lock, keyed lock or keyed padlock;

“teacher”, in relation to a school, means an adult individual directly employed, contracted or otherwise engaged, by the school’s operator —

(a) to teach students at the school;

(b) to prepare or issue lessons or correct written answers of students at the school; or

(c) to do both paragraphs (a) and (b);

“venue approval”, in relation to any premises, means a venue approval granted by a Licensing Officer under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Shooting and Paintball Ranges) Regulations 2025 (G.N. No. S 360/2025) of any premises for use as a shooting range or paintball range.

Application

3.—(1)  This Order does not extend to an individual who is exempt by or under section 87 or 88 of the Act.

(2)  This Order also does not extend to an individual who is a class licensee under paragraph 19 of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Sporting or Recreational Use — Class Licence) Order 2025 (G.N. No. S 368/2025).

(3)  The application of paragraph 5, 6, 7 or 8 to an individual is subject to section 66(1) and (2)(c) of the Act.

PART 2

EXPLOSIVE PRECURSOR USE IN SCHOOLS

Division 1 — General

Definitions for Part 2

4.  In this Part —

“assessment” means any assessment of the level of knowledge, skill or understanding of an individual in any subject matter by all or any of the following means:

(a) examination of knowledge or understanding by means of written questions or oral questions or both;

(b) practical testing of skills;

“craft or repair workshop”, in relation to a school, means an enclosed place —

(a) where art works or craft works are created or manufactured, or equipment or machinery is repaired or fitted; and

(b) which is situated within the premises of the school and managed by or under the control of the school’s operator;

“defined analysis or research” means any analysis or research (scientific or otherwise) involving an explosive precursor;

“defined experiment” means an experiment involving an explosive precursor;

“EP licence” has the meaning given by regulation 2(1) of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Explosives and Explosive Precursors) Regulations 2025 (G.N. No. S 374/2025);

“laboratory”, in relation to a school, means a laboratory that is —

(a) situated within the premises of the school; and

(b) managed by or under the control of the school’s operator;

“name”, in relation to an explosive precursor, includes the commercial name (if any) of the explosive precursor;

“permitted activity” has the meaning given by paragraph 6(3);

“permitted purpose” means a purpose specified in paragraph 8(1)(a) or (b);

“practical training” means training that allows a student who has undertaken training in theory to practise applying the theory;

“student‑class licensee” means a student of a school who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 6;

“supervising”, in relation to a student performing a defined experiment, defined analysis or research or undergoing practical training, means —

(a) being physically present at the place that the experiment, analysis or research or practical training is being carried out by the student;

(b) observing the experiment, analysis or research or practical training being carried out to the extent necessary to enable the observer to form an opinion as to whether the experiment, analysis or research or practical training (as the case may be) is being carried out properly; and

(c) being available to give advice to, and answer questions about the experiment, analysis or research or practical training from, the student when carrying the experiment, analysis or research or practical training, as the case may be;

“teacher”, in relation to a student, includes an individual who acts as an invigilator during an assessment of the student;

“teacher’s task” means to teach, supervise or assess a student, in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of a school, in connection with the student undertaking any permitted activity;

“unsupervised access”, in relation to an explosive precursor, means access to the explosive precursor in circumstances where no other individual who is authorised by or under the Act to handle or use the explosive precursor is present.

Meaning of “defined incident”

5.—(1)  In this Part, “defined incident” means an occurrence associated with the carrying out of an activity involving an explosive precursor authorised under a class licence in this Part, where —

(a) an individual suffers a fatal explosive precursor‑related injury;

(b) an individual suffers a serious explosive precursor‑related injury;

(c) any premises or conveyance is wholly or partly destroyed; or

(d) any premises or conveyance sustains damage or structural failure that adversely affects the structural strength or performance of the premises or conveyance.

(2)  For the purposes of the definition of “defined incident” mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1), an individual suffers a fatal explosive precursor‑related injury if —

(a) he or she suffers an injury as a result of —

(i) being in any premises or conveyance used in the carrying out of an activity involving an explosive precursor authorised under a class licence in this Part; or

(ii) direct contact during that activity with the explosive precursor;

(b) he or she dies as a result of the injury after sustaining the injury; and

(c) the injury did not result from natural causes.

(3)  For the purposes of the definition of “defined incident” mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1), an individual suffers a serious explosive precursor‑related injury if —

(a) he or she suffers an injury as a result of —

(i) being in any premises or conveyance used in the carrying out of an activity involving an explosive precursor authorised under a class licence in this Part; or

(ii) direct contact with the explosive precursor when that activity was carried on;

(b) the injury is —

(i) a fracture, other than to a finger, thumb or toe;

(ii) any loss of a limb or part of a limb;

(iii) dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine;

(iv) loss of sight, whether temporary or permanent;

(v) penetrating injury to the eye;

(vi) loss of hearing in any one ear, whether temporary or permanent;

(vii) any injury leading to the individual’s unconsciousness or the individual requiring resuscitation;

(viii) an injury to any internal organ of the individual; or

(ix) is likely to require hospitalisation for a period that starts no later than the 7th day after the date the individual sustained the injury and exceeds 48 hours after starting; and

(c) the injury did not result from natural causes.

Division 2 — Students

Students

6.—(1)  Every individual who is a student of any school mentioned in sub‑paragraph (2) is subject to a class licence authorising the individual to use an explosive precursor —

(a) in a laboratory or a craft or repair workshop of any of those schools; and

(b) in the course of undertaking any permitted activity in sub‑paragraph (3).

(2)  The schools for the purposes of sub‑paragraph (1) are as follows:

(a) a Government secondary school;

(b) a Government‑aided secondary school;

(c) an independent school;

(d) a Government junior college;

(e) a Government‑aided junior college;

(f) a relevant post‑secondary education school;

(g) a religious school;

(h) a local university;

(i) a foreign system school;

(j) a school at which private education is provided by a registered private education institution.

(3)  A student may use an explosive precursor in the course of undertaking any of the following permitted activities:

(a) performing a defined experiment in the course of a lesson or training that is part of the course he or she is enrolled in;

(b) performing a defined analysis or research as part of the course he or she is enrolled in;

(c) performing practical training that is part of the course he or she is enrolled in;

(d) performing a defined experiment or performing practical training as part of an assessment of the student in connection with the course he or she is enrolled in.

(4)  However, the class licence under this paragraph does not extend to authorising any student —

(a) unsupervised access to any explosive precursor;

(b) to use an explosive precursor outside of a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of any school mentioned in sub‑paragraph (2); or

(c) to use an explosive precursor in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of a school if the school’s operator is not authorised by or under the Act to handle, possess or use the explosive precursor.

Conditions of student class licence

7.  A student who is a student‑class licensee may use an explosive precursor in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of any school mentioned in paragraph 6(2) subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the student’s use of the explosive precursor is under the supervision, and in accordance with the instructions, of the teacher deployed to teach, or conduct the assessment of, the student;

(b) the student does not at any time remove any explosive precursor from such a laboratory or a craft or repair workshop;

(c) the student notifies a teacher or the principal of the school within which the laboratory or craft or repair workshop is situated, without delay upon becoming aware of any loss of any explosive precursor in the possession of or used by the student.

Division 3 — School operators

Class licensed school operator — acquisition, possession or storage

8.—(1)  Every operator of any school mentioned in sub‑paragraph (2) is subject to a class licence authorising the operator to acquire and possess or store, and to transfer possession of, any explosive precursor for any of the following permitted purposes:

(a) to allow a student to use an explosive precursor in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school in connection with the student undertaking a permitted activity;

(b) to allow a teacher of the school to perform a teacher’s task involving an explosive precursor in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school.

(2)  The schools for the purposes of sub‑paragraph (1) are as follows:

(a) a Government secondary school;

(b) a Government‑aided secondary school;

(c) an independent school;

(d) a Government junior college;

(e) a Government‑aided junior college;

(f) the Institute of Technical Education;

(g) a religious school.

Conditions of class licence for acquisition, possession or storage

9.—(1)  An operator of a school who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 8 may acquire and possess or store an explosive precursor subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the class licensee does not have at any time more than an amount of explosive precursor in possession or storage than is necessary for a permitted purpose;

(b) the class licensee takes all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that any explosive precursor it is authorised by this Order to possess or store is kept secure within a suitable storeroom situated within the school, whenever the explosive precursor is not required for a permitted purpose;

(c) the class licensee does not abandon any explosive precursor it is authorised by this Order to possess or store except by an act of disposal authorised by paragraph 10;

(d) the class licensee provides and maintains an electronic video surveillance system (such as closed‑circuit television (CCTV) or its digital equivalent) as to enable the recording of activities taking place at —

(i) every suitable storeroom in the school where explosive precursors are stored;

(ii) every laboratory or craft or repair workshop of the school where explosive precursors are used; and

(iii) every entrance to, and exit (including an emergency exit) from, each place in sub‑paragraph (i) or (ii);

(e) the class licensee keeps each recording made using the electronic video surveillance system required by sub‑paragraph (d) for a period of not less than 31 days after the date the recording is made;

(f) the class licensee takes all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that the explosive precursor it is authorised by this Order to possess or store —

(i) is not lost or stolen; and

(ii) is not accessible or transferred to anyone else who is not authorised by or under the Act to possess the explosive precursor;

(g) the class licensee keeps and maintains an accurate and updated inventory of all explosive precursors in the class licensee’s possession under this Order;

(h) the class licensee establishes and maintains procedures and protocols to ensure that no student has unsupervised access to any explosive precursor while in the school;

(i) the class licensee takes reasonable precautions to protect other people from alarm relating to a student or teacher using an explosive precursor to whom the class licensee has transferred possession for a permitted purpose;

(j) the class licensee notifies the police by calling ‘999’, without delay upon becoming aware of any of the following matters:

(i) any theft or attempted theft, or loss of any explosive precursor while in the class licensee’s possession under this Order;

(ii) any defined incident happening in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school after the class licensee transferred possession of any explosive precursor to any student or teacher for a permitted purpose.

(2)  Sub‑paragraph (1)(j) does not apply if a class licensee knows that another person has, or other persons have, already reported the matter mentioned in that provision to the police.

Class licensed school operator — disposal

10.  Every operator of any school mentioned in paragraph 8(2) is subject to a class licence authorising the operator to dispose of any explosive precursor the person has acquired and possessed or stored under this Order if the explosive precursor is no longer required for any permitted purpose.

Conditions of class licence for disposal

11.  An operator of a school who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 10 may handle the explosive precursor with a view to destroying it subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the class licensee engages a holder of a licence to destroy the explosive precursor;

(b) the class licensee does not itself destroy or render the explosive precursor harmless.

Record‑keeping requirement

12.  For the purpose of section 61(2)(a) of the Act, an operator of a school who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 8 or 10 must make and keep a record of all the following aspects of the class licensee’s acquisition, possession, storage or disposal (as the case may be) of explosive precursors:

(a) for each month —

(i) the type of every explosive precursor in the possession of the class licensee in that month; and

(ii) the total quantity of explosive precursors in the possession of the class licensee in that month;

(b) for each occasion an explosive precursor is acquired or transferred by or on behalf of the class licensee —

(i) the date on which any explosive precursor was acquired or received by or on behalf of the class licensee in connection with the class licence under paragraph 8 or 10;

(ii) the name of the explosive precursor, and the quantity of the explosive precursor acquired or received by or on behalf of the class licensee in connection with the class licence under paragraph 8 or 10;

(iii) the date on which possession of the explosive precursor was transferred by or on behalf of the class licensee to another person for disposal;

(iv) the name of every explosive precursor, and the quantity thereof, transferred by or on behalf of the class licensee to another person for disposal; and

(v) the date on which, and the name of every explosive precursor, and the quantity thereof, used in the school for a permitted purpose;

(c) the identity particulars and contact address of —

(i) every person from whom any explosive precursor was acquired or received by or on behalf of the class licensee in connection with the class licence under paragraph 8 or 10; and

(ii) every person to whom possession of any explosive precursor was transferred by or on behalf of the class licensee.

How long to keep records required

13.  For the purpose of section 61(2)(a) of the Act, a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 8 or 10 must keep and retain a record for at least 3 years after the date the record was made.

Division 4 — Principals and teachers

Class licence for principals and teachers

14.—(1)  Every individual who is a principal or a teacher of a school mentioned in sub‑paragraph (2) is subject to a class licence authorising the individual to possess and use an explosive precursor in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school for an educational purpose connected with the school.

(2)  The schools for the purposes of sub‑paragraph (1) are as follows:

(a) a Government secondary school;

(b) a Government‑aided secondary school;

(c) an independent school;

(d) a Government junior college;

(e) a Government‑aided junior college;

(f) the Institute of Technical Education;

(g) a religious school;

(h) any of the following schools, the operator of which is the holder of an EP licence to acquire and possess or store an explosive precursor:

(i) a relevant post‑secondary education school other than the Institute of Technical Education;

(ii) a local university;

(iii) a foreign system school;

(iv) a school at which private education is provided by a registered private education institution.

(3)  For the purposes of sub‑paragraph (1), an educational purpose connected with a school is —

(a) in the case of a teacher of the school — to perform a teacher’s task involving an explosive precursor in connection with a student at the school; and

(b) in the case of a principal of the school —

(i) to enable a teacher of the school to perform a teacher’s task involving an explosive precursor in connection with a student at the school; or

(ii) to apply and give effect to the requirements of the school’s operator which are directed at complying with the conditions of a class licence under Division 3 or an EP licence applicable to that operator.

Conditions of principal’s or teacher’s class licence

15.—(1)  A teacher of a school who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 14 may possess and use an explosive precursor subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the teacher does not intentionally or negligently allow —

(i) any student to have unsupervised access to any explosive precursor in the teacher’s possession; and

(ii) any other individual to have unsupervised access to any explosive precursor in the teacher’s possession unless that other individual is authorised by or under the Act to handle that explosive precursor;

(b) the teacher does not have on any occasion an amount of explosive precursor in the teacher’s possession that is more than is necessary for the teacher to perform a teacher’s task in connection with a student at the school;

(c) the teacher’s possession and use of the explosive precursor must otherwise be in conformity with the lawful instructions of the school’s operator;

(d) the teacher reports to the school’s operator about any of the following matters, without delay upon the teacher becoming aware of the matter:

(i) any theft or attempted theft, or loss of any explosive precursor while in the teacher’s possession under this Order;

(ii) any defined incident happening in the laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school when the teacher was performing a teacher’s task.

(2)  A principal of a school who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 14 may possess and use an explosive precursor subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the principal does not allow —

(i) any student to have unsupervised access to any explosive precursor in the principal’s possession;

(ii) a teacher of the school to have unsupervised access to any explosive precursor in the principal’s possession unless the teacher is performing a teacher’s task involving that explosive precursor in a laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school; and

(iii) any other individual to have unsupervised access to any explosive precursor in the principal’s possession unless that other individual is authorised by or under the Act to handle that explosive precursor;

(b) the principal does not have on any occasion an amount of explosive precursor in his or her possession that is more than is necessary on the occasion for an educational purpose connected with the school;

(c) the principal’s possession and use of the explosive precursor must otherwise be in conformity with the lawful instructions of the school’s operator;

(d) the principal reports to the school’s operator about any of the following matters, without delay upon the principal becoming aware of the matter:

(i) any theft or attempted theft, or loss of any explosive precursor while in the principal’s possession under this Order;

(ii) any defined incident happening in the laboratory, or a craft or repair workshop, of the school when a student at the school undertakes any permitted activity or a teacher of the school performs a teacher’s task.

(3)  Sub‑paragraphs (1)(d) and (2)(d) do not apply if the teacher or principal (as the case may be) of a school knows that another person has, or other persons have, already reported the matter mentioned in those provisions to the school’s operator.

 

Made on 26 May 2025.

PANG KIN KEONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[112/2/029; AG/LEGIS/SL/121C/2020/29]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 92 of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021).